Brûléed Grapefruit Salmon with Cauliflower-Cilantro Purée

When rich, slow-roasted, wild salmon melds with bright citrus and fresh cilantro, magic happens. Pair it with a glass of Chardonnay to take it to the next level…

Yield: 5 servings (4 ounces salmon with 1/3 cup puree)

INGREDIENTS:

Salmon:

1 (1 ¼ -pound) wild salmon fillet

Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

1 Ruby Red Grapefruit, thinly sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 scallion, chopped

1-2 teaspoons organic honey (or granulated sugar)

Cauliflower-Cilantro Purée

1 head green cauliflower (or white or purple cauliflower), cut into florets

1 cup vegetable broth

2 cups fresh cilantro

2 scallions, chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon Himalayan salt

Flaky sea salt, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.    Preheat oven to 300ºF.

2.    Place salmon in a large baking dish, pat dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

3.    Place grapefruit and lemon slices over the top and around the salmon.

4.    Drizzle salmon and citrus with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped scallion.

5.    Bake 25-30 minutes, or until salmon just begins to turn opaque.

6.    In the meantime, steam the cauliflower. Set a steamer basket in a large saucepan with a lid. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add cauliflower florets. Lower heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

7.    In a food processor or Vitamix, combine steamed cauliflower, broth, cilantro, scallions, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Salt and pepper, to taste.

8.    Remove salmon from the oven and drizzle honey or sprinkle sugar over the grapefruit slices. Using a torch, melt the sugar to caramelize and form a crispy top. Alternatively, place fish under a preheated broiler and broil until sugar melts and caramelizes, about 3 minutes.

9.    To serve, slice salmon into 5 pieces. Place 1/3 cup cauliflower-cilantro puree on a plate, and top with one piece of salmon. Garnish with a flaky sea salt, as desired.